When people talk about sustainability and trucking, these days the first topic people think of is electric trucks, or maybe renewable fuels. And those are indeed among the ways trucking fleets can be more environmentally friendly.

But for the vast majority of trucking operations, those options aren’t feasible. Yet there are many sustainability strategies that fleets can adopt.

HDT started its Top Green Fleets awards in 2013. More than a decade later, while some things have changed, some strategies are still just as valid now as they were then, other things have changed, including the advent of heavy-duty battery-electric trucks, better auxiliary power unit technology, the use of artificial intelligence to optimize routes, the emergence of renewable diesel and renewable natural gas, and more.

Read on to learn 15 ways HDT’s 2024 Top Green Fleets are pursuing sustainability.

1. Researching the Latest Green Technology

Leading green fleets are continually researching and testing products and technologies to determine which sustainability options are right for their particular operations. They work with OEMs and suppliers to get early access to green technology and products for testing and evaluation.

2. Buying the Latest Fuel-Efficient Trucks

One of the most common tactics is buying the latest, most fuel-efficient, low-emissions equipment available and keeping the fleet age young.

As Werner Enterprises pointed out in its latest Corporate Social Responsibility Report, today, 60 low-emission diesel trucks produce the same emissions as a single diesel truck would in 1988.

3. Spec’ing for Efficient Operation

Not only do these fleets buy new, fuel-efficient models, they ensure they are optimizing the specifications of those trucks for the fleet’s specific operations.

Powertrain specs feature fuel-saving features such as downspeeding and automated manual transmissions. Advanced cruise control and speed limiters are used to keep trucks in most efficient range.

4. Pushing the Aero Envelope

Today’s trucks are more aerodynamic than ever, and aero add-ons such as trailer skirts are common. But that doesn’t stop leading fleets from using add-on aero devices such as cab extenders and side fairings on cabs, replacing mirrors with sleek camera-based vision systems, and investigating the best and latest trailer aero devices for trailers.

5. Reducing Idle Time

Unnecessary idling wastes a lot of fuel, so sustainable fleets spec idle reduction technology such as auxiliary power units, the latest battery-powered cab HVAC systems, and solar panels. One fleet said it spec’ed improved alternators that charge batteries more completely and quickly, offering extra power at rest time for drivers to use air conditioning and electronics.  

6. Paying Attention to Tires

Tires can make a significant impact on fuel economy as well as waste, so sustainable fleets pay attention to their tires, with low-rolling-resistance tires, wide-base single tires, automatic tire inflation, and repurposing/recycling/repairing/retreading tires.

7. Training and Incentivizing Drivers

The most fuel-efficient specs will only go so far if drivers don’t know how to drive efficiently (or don’t care.)

Top Green Fleets prioritize training and incentivizing drivers in behaviors that improve fuel efficiency, such as smoothness, speed, throttle, space management, idle time, etc.

8. Improving Freight Efficiency

If more freight can be moved per gallon of fuel used, improving freight efficiency, that’s another way to improve sustainability. One way fleets do this is by minimizing empty miles and wasted fuel using high-tech route optimization.

Another way is to spec tractors and trailers to allow for more payload per trip. Lighter-weight day cabs and lightweight chassis reduce overall weight and allow more cargo to be moved per shipment. Some freight allows for special trailer specs for more payload; fleets may operate longer combination vehicles where allowed.

Several of our top green fleets are increasingly moving some truck freight to intermodal. A single ton of freight can be shipped 500 miles on the equivalent of a single gallon of fuel.

9. Using Greener Fuels

Alternative fuels make sense for some fleets, largely depending on geographic location as well as type of operations. This may include biodiesel, renewable diesel, and natural gas or renewable natural gas.

10. Sustainability in the Shop

Top Green Fleets stay on top of regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance of vehicles to make sure they’re delivering on fuel-economy specs. Fleets are extending oil drain intervals for less waste oil, as well as recycling waste oil and other substances such as water form wash bays.

11. Greening Facilities

While most attention to sustainability for trucking focuses on the vehicles, green fleets also work to improve the environmental efficiency of their facilities, such as headquarters and warehouses.

Tactics include efficient LED lighting, motion-activated lighting, paperless technology, adding solar panels to roofs, tinted windows to conserve energy, geothermal energy systems, and eco-scaping grounds with trees, grasses, and flowers to replenish oxygen to the environment.

12. Recycling

Green fleets are recycling everything from paper and oil to water in truck wash bays, using re-usable coffee and drink cups instead of disposable water bottles or paper or Styrofoam cups,

13. Evaluating ZEVs

Sustainable fleets are evaluating, testing, and adopting zero-emission vehicle technology such as battery-electric trucks where it makes sense. If ZEVs are not applicable for fleets’ on-road applications, they may use ZEV yard tractors or forklifts.

They are investing in electric-charging facilities backed by on-site distributed energy generation and storage powered by renewable energy sources such as solar — aka microgrids.

14. Setting Goals and KPIs

Fleets are increasingly setting specific sustainability goals, as well as setting, measuring and tracking key indicators to track their progress in meeting those goals. Telematics are useful to monitor areas such as fuel consumption and driver behavior and identify areas to improve.

With more attention being paid by corporations to Scope 3 emissions (much of which is generated in the supply chain), leading fleets are working to provide Scope 1 emissions and other ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) measures to customers.

15. Fostering a Culture of Sustainability

To ensure sustainability goals are more than just numbers on paper, trucking companies are reaching out to get their entire organizations involved in improving sustainability. Some are setting up sustainability committees with representatives from across company functions to come up with ideas, or setting up employee resource groups to engage with corporate and local environmental efforts.